No relief for LRT, MRT commuters

RAIL commuters failed to get any relief from the Supreme Court (SC) as the tribunal did not stop implementation of higher fare rates when it tackled several petitions assailing the government’s decision to adjust fares in Light Rail Transit 1, LRT 2 and Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3).

Instead of issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO), the High Court on Tuesday directed concerned government agencies to answer petitions filed by various groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan or Bayan.

The petitioners questioned the legality of the fare increases, saying the Department of Transportation and Communications failed to conduct proper public consultation, a prerequisite for any fare increase in public transportation.

Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes expressed disappointment over the failure of the High Court to issue a TRO.

“The sufferings of the commuters will continue. The illegal fare hikes will continue. Only the government and private traders will benefit. This means during the visit of the Pope, they will earn more because devotees will surely take the trains. This is very sad because this is contrary to the message of Pope Francis to take care of the poor instead of favoring big business. We will not stop in our advocacy,” Reyes said.

There are more or less 1.3 million daily train patrons in Metro Manila.

At least four petitions have been filed at the SC questioning the train fare adjustments.

Under the new rates, fare for an MRT 3 ride from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt station in Quezon City went up to P30 from P20; fare for an LRT 2 ride from Recto station in Manila to Santolan station in Pasig City increased from P15 to P25; and fare for an LRT 1 ride from Roosevelt in Quezon City to Taft station in Pasay City rose to P28 from P15.

2 Comments

So the riding public wants no fare increases for LRT and MRT. Look people, take your own body, it needs maintenance, i.e. food and other necessities to be healthy and alive. Take for example your car, suv, van or truck, they all need constant doses of gas, oil, coolant aside from changing tires and brake pads. You want the LRT and MRT to run smoothly forever; let the government increase the fares. In turn, they can manage the LRT and MRT more efficiently with additional funds. Remember, the system is aging and needs more money to run and maintain. Even with a brand new transport system, maintenance is vital. YOU CANNOT JUST HOP IN AND OUT just because you are paying your fare, you have to be partners of the government. Working together with discipline, understanding and being responsible members of the society will reap common benefits.